NEUCHATEL/MIES, Switzerland - For the fourth year in a row, the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) and FIBA have come together to produce the International Basketball Migration Report (IBMR), a seasonal insight into the migratory trends of the sport.

The fourth edition of the report, which covers the 2014-15 basketball season (1 July 2014 - 30 June 2015), combines FIBA’s knowledge and data on international transfers with the CIES Observatory’s renowned expertise in analysis to shine light on the international migration of players in any given basketball season.

Among the key findings, the 2015 IBMR indicates a record number of international transfers, with 7,800 taking place during the 2014-15 season. This is 969 more than the previous campaign and the increases apply to both male and female athletes. The latest data also reveals for the first time that Germany is the largest import country of players.

There was a strong presence of foreign players (43%) within the various national leagues, while the NBA and WNBA international leagues have witnessed an increase in the number of players from outside the United States of America.

The 2014-15 season also shows an increase in the number of U21 players utilised by teams.

New for this year, the IBMR features a section on the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal (BAT), which is an independent organisation officially recognised by FIBA and provides services for the resolution of contractual disputes between players, agents, coaches and clubs via arbitration in a simple, fast and cost-efficient manner.